Thomas g



(Model.)

T G BENNETT Machine for Peeding'Oar'tridge Shells; No. 232,169.

Patented Sept. 14,1880.

NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

THOMAS C. BENNETT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THEWVINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY.

MACHINE FOR FEEDING CARTRIDGE-SHELLS,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,169, datedSeptember 14, 1880,

Application filed May 13, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS G. BENNETT, of New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain Improvementsin Machines for Feeding Car tridge-Shells and Similar Articles, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention consists in a machine of novel construction for feedingeartridge-shells or similar articles from a hopper into tubes for othermachines during the various operations requisite to complete the same,as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure l is a front elevation of a machine embodying my invention, withthe hopper shown in section on the line 3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection on the line 00 at of Fig. 1.

In the manufacture of metallic cartridges the blanks or tubes have topass through sev- 2o eral operations in succession, and, as a generalrule, they have been fed to the machines by hand, thus requiring theconstant attendance of an operator at each machine, and who is obligedto take up each tube by hand and place it in the proper position in themachine.

The object of my present invention is to produce a feed apparatus whichwill automatically pick up the shells right end foremost, and deliverthem to a tube, through which they 0 may pass by gravity to the placedesired for further operations.

This machine consists of a rotating disk, A, mounted on a shaft, T, thedisk havingits central portion, C, made thicker than the outer'portion,so as to form a horizontallyprojecting annular shoulder, l, as shown inFig. 2, this projection or shoulder being on the front face of the disk,as there shown. From this shoulder 1 there projects, radially, a seriesof pins,

40 0, of the proper size to permit a shell to slide freely on and off,and of such a length as to prevent the shells from tipping over sidewisewhen thereon.

Between each of the radial pins 0 there is 5 also a smaller pin, 0,projecting from the face of the disk at right angles to the pins 0, asshown in Fig. 1, and at lower portion of Fi 2, the object of which is toprevent the shells from falling and lodging on the shoulder 1 betweenthe pins 0.

(Model) It is obvious that instead of these pins 6 flat strips of metalmay be used, or that the space between the pins 0 may be otherwise sofilled in or may be so narrowed that a shell cannot fall or lodgebetween the pins, or on the wheel or hub C, except as it slides entlwiseonto the pins 0.

Upon the face of the disk A, outside of the central portion, C, isarranged a series of concave buckets or spouts, B, which are left. openon their upper sides and are arranged radially with their inner openends pointing toward the pins 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thisfeed-wheel is mounted so as to rotate within a case, I, the lower frontportion of which is widened and inclined, so as to form, when closed up,an inclined hopper, H, as shown in Fig. 2.

A guide, G, consisting of a narrow strip of metal, is secured in theposition shown in Fig. 1--that is, in front of the feed-wheel, andsurrounding the toothed wheel or hub C about half the way, more orless--it being located near enough to the end of the carrying-pins o toprevent the shells b from prematurely dropping off as they are broughtaround to the lower side by the rotation of the wheel. At the bottom ofthis guide plate Gr there is an opening, in which is secured the end ofa tube, D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is designed to receive theshells as they drop from the pins 0, and convey them to the machinewhich is to perform on them the next operation, or to any other pointthat may be desired.

While for convenience I have represented the feed-wheels or parts A andC as being made together as a single wheel, it is obvious that they maybe made as two separate wheels, and be so mounted and arranged as thateither 0 one may be made to travel faster than the other, and also thatthe buckets B may be varied in form or size, and be relatively more orless numerous, all these being mere questions of mechanical details, tobe determined by the will of the person building the machine, and mustof course be varied more or less,'according to the nature of the articlethat is to be fed by it, for, while I have designed this feeding devicemore especially for cartridge:

shells, it is obvious that it may be used for feeding Various otherarticles equally Well.

In operation the shells are placed loosely in the hopper B. As thefeed-Wheel rotates, the

buckets B, as they pass upward from the hopper, will each hold and carrya shell, I), which, as soon as the bucket has become sufficientlyinclined, by being carried around toward the top, will slide out; and ifit lie in the bucket with its open end toward the center of the wheel itwill fall "upon one/of the pins 0, on which it will rest, and be carriedaround until brought on the opposite side within the guard G, which willprevent it from falling off the pin until it arrives opposite the mouthof the spout D, when, being in a vertical position, it will dropinstantly into and pass through the spout.

While I have shown the feed-wheel as standing vertically, it is obviousthat it may be inclined somewhat, more especially when the articles tobe fed by it have considerable weight, as in that case they will readilyslide down the inclined face of the wheel; but with small and lightarticles it is better to have it stand vertical, so as to insure theaccurate dropping of the articles at the proper time.

Those of the shells which happen to be taken up by the buckets withtheir closed end toward the center of the wheel, as they slide from thebuckets B, of course,will not be caught upon the pins 0 of wheel 0, butwill fallback into the hopper to be again picked up by the buckets B asthey pass through the mass of loose shells therein; and thus it will beseen that the device not only feeds the shells automatically, but thatit takes them from the mass placed indiscriminately in the hopper, andpresents them all in regular order, one end foremost, for the nextoperation, whatever that maybe. W L 7 i Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. An automatic feeding device forcartridgeshells and similar articles, consisting of a series of bucketsarranged to pass through a hopper containing the articles, incombination with a carrying-wheel provided with a series of radial pinsarranged to receive the shells as delivered from the buckets, with theguideplate G and receiving tube or spout D, all arranged to operatesubstantially as described.

2. The carrying-wheel 0, provided with the radial pins 0, and the pins0, or equivalent devices, for preventing the lodgment of shells' uponthe wheel between the pins 0, as set forth.

THOMAS G. BENNETT. Witnesses:

DANIEL H. VEADER, JOSEPH J. SWEENEY.

